Sustainable Consumption and Production – a South-South Transfer - Phase I

The project promotes sustainable consumption and production in the agri-food sector and seeks to integrate SCP strategies into national mitigation policies and climate protection efforts. In addition to reducing carbon emissions, the project helps protect biodiversity by improving forest management and agricultural practices.

An important component of the project extension to South America is the South-South exchange. This encompasses the direct exchange of knowledge and technical know-how between the countries. Key goals within the framework of the project are: - Cooperating with the respective national governments to develop mitigation strategies for the agri-food sector - Collaborating with companies to implement sustainable business models and to improve availability, accessibility and quality of consumer information - Increasing consumers' awareness of the impact of their consumption patterns - Developing and implementing concepts for SCP as models for other countries (south-south transfer).

In Thailand, a solution model combating land degradation and deforestation has been developed, with model sites for sustainable agriculture in northern Thailand and sustainable supply chains to the Thai retail sector. In Indonesia, climate pledges for the agricultural sector were developed with a focus on palm oil production. Furthermore, a platform for sustainable retailers was established. In the Philippines, the focus was on reducing emissions from the tourism and gastronomy sector. Partners from the private sector (restaurants, hotels) implemented measures for sustainable catering, including the avoidance of food waste. In Paraguay, the project aimed to render urban agricultural production of fresh food and make supply chains of the retail sector more sustainable, so that urban consumers are given the opportunity to purchase from "sustainable shelves". In Colombia, the work was towards commitments to reduce conversion and deforestation in key supply chains (e.g. palm oil, meat/ milk, cocoa) and contribute to a long-term shift in consumer awareness. The project has been successfully implemented in Southeast Asia over the last few years and has achieved positive impacts. In March 2020 the project started in South America and came to an end in 2023. More information on our project website https://www.wwf-scp.org/

During project implementation, recommendations and guidelines on sustainable consumption and production have been developed and integrated into political policy-making processes such as NDCs revision. Businesses have been informed about the benefits of sustainable production practices, and have received support for implementation. The multi-level approach (government, businesses, and consumers) provides the best opportunities for a long-term impact. Through regular sharing of experiences and communication among the target countries, innovative methods were multiplied and scaled up on a regional level. The close cooperation with the UNEP 10 Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production (10YFP), the Consumer Information Programme as well as the Sustainable Food Systems Programme has allowed to incorporate lessons learned, best practices and to rely on internationally recognized frameworks to develop context-based solutions. Contact: tanja.ploetz@wwf.de